Forest Stewardship Plan 11-26-2001 - Willow Pond Farmstead...Thanks to the clean -up activity necessitated by Hurricane Fran, many aspects of the land’s aesthetics have already seen

Forest Stewardship Plan Willow Pond Farmstead

2451 Brick Mill Road Coats (Harnett County) NC 27521

11/26/01

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Table of Contents - Page i

Table of Contents

PROPERTY DESCRIPTION........................................................................................1

Location.......................................................................................................................... 1 Topography .................................................................................................................... 1 Management Situation................................................................................................. 1 Major Timber Types...................................................................................................... 2 Understory ..................................................................................................................... 2 Other Notable Features................................................................................................ 3

Gravel Quarry............................................................................................................ 3 “Duck Pond”............................................................................................................... 3

RESOURCE OBJECTIVES..........................................................................................5

Prefatory Considerations .............................................................................................. 5 Aesthetic Quality........................................................................................................... 5 Recreation...................................................................................................................... 5 Fish................................................................................................................................. 6 Wildlife........................................................................................................................... 6 Timber ............................................................................................................................ 6 Water .............................................................................................................................. 6 Soil.................................................................................................................................. 6

RESOURCES EVALUATIONS....................................................................................7

Aesthetics – use and potential...................................................................................... 7 Recreation – use and potential..................................................................................... 7 Fish................................................................................................................................. 7

Willow Pond............................................................................................................... 7 Duck Pond.................................................................................................................. 8 Lake Fran................................................................................................................... 9

Wildlife........................................................................................................................... 9 Water ............................................................................................................................ 10 Timber .......................................................................................................................... 10 Soils .............................................................................................................................. 10

MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR DESIGNATED AREAS...........13

Brief Description of area............................................................................................. 13 Thornton’s Creek Wetlands ..................................................................................... 13 Central Woodlands .................................................................................................. 13 Gravel Quarry.......................................................................................................... 14 Duck Pond................................................................................................................ 15 “Lake” Fran.............................................................................................................. 15 Willow Pond............................................................................................................. 16

AREA SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES...............................................................................17

Thornton’s Creek Wetlands ........................................................................................ 17 Central Woodlands ...................................................................................................... 17 Gravel Quarry.............................................................................................................. 17

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Duck Pond .................................................................................................................... 17 “Lake” Fran.................................................................................................................. 17 Willow Pond................................................................................................................. 18

MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS AND ACTION PLAN.........................19

Overall Re-Forestation Plan - uneven-aged forest management............................ 19 1-acre Harvesting Every Three Years..................................................................... 19 Disease Monitoring.................................................................................................. 19

Thornton’s Creek Wetlands ........................................................................................ 19 Build additional brush piles for wildlife habitat.................................................. 19 Add nesting boxes.................................................................................................... 20 Girdle trees to create nesting and feeding areas.................................................... 20 Complete foot trail through area............................................................................ 20 Hand grade road margins ...................................................................................... 20

Central Woodlands ...................................................................................................... 21 Clear all refuse left by prior owners....................................................................... 21 Girdle trees to create nesting and feeding areas.................................................... 21 Harvest select trees for firewood. ............................................................................ 21 Build additional brush piles for wildlife habitat.................................................. 22 Add nesting boxes.................................................................................................... 22 Build new trail with footbridge across stream at Baker Tract southern line..... 22 Re-seed, lime and fertilize road banks................................................................... 23 Hand grade road margins ...................................................................................... 23

Gravel Quarry.............................................................................................................. 23 Rake bottom, clear vegetation, build sand beach, and fill the swimming hole.. 23 Stop erosion at roadway entrance to quarry.......................................................... 23 Encourage wildlife habitat usage via nesting boxes and girdled trees................ 24 Plant seedlings around the perimeter .................................................................... 24

Duck Pond .................................................................................................................... 24 Maintain recreational fishing population.............................................................. 24 Encourage wildlife habitat usage........................................................................... 25 Stop erosion at pond perimeter............................................................................... 25 Discourage cattle-induced erosion of the newly graded pond banks.................... 25

“Lake” Fran.................................................................................................................. 25 Replace seedlings lost during Spring, 1999 drought. ........................................... 25 Re-seed, lime and fertilize road banks. .................................................................. 26 Add nesting boxes at perimeter of water................................................................ 26 Build apparatus to adjust water level in Nooney Wetland area.......................... 26 Restore pasture between Lake Fran and Stewart Pasture with switchgrass...... 27

Willow Pond................................................................................................................. 27 Monitor fish harvest. ............................................................................................... 27 Continue liming and fertilizing pond at current levels. ....................................... 27 Add nesting boxes at perimeter of water................................................................ 27

SCHEDULE OF MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES........................................................I

RECORD OF ACTIVITIES ............................................................................................I

EXHIBIT A........................................................................................................................I

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Forest Stewardship Plan W i l l o w P o n d F a r m s t e a d

Proper ty Descr ip t ion

L o c a t i o n

We are a 39.07 (more or less) tract consisting of a combination of residential, farm, and woodlands uses. The property address is 2451 Brick Mill Road in Harnett County, midway between Coats and Buies Creek, NC.

For farmland, our farm sits remarkably close to the crossroads of exploding growth. Interstate 40 (Wilmington to Los Angeles) intersects I-95 (Miami to New York/Boston) only twelve miles from here. Raleigh-Durham International Airport is 50 minutes away (as is Fayetteville Regional). Amtrak passenger services are available in Raleigh, Cary, Fayetteville, Selma and Southern Pines (each within an hour’s drive). We sit between Wake, Johnston, and Cumberland Counties,1 in the tenth most populated state in America. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, N.C. State University, N.C. Central University, Duke University, Campbell University and a host of smaller colleges and technical schools are within a sixty-mile radius. US 421 (within earshot of the farm) has recently been five -laned. We are close enough to this growth activity to benefit from it and secluded enough to ignore it. In less time than it takes to leave the house and drive to Florida, we can be in London. This is a good “base of operations.”

There is no reason to expect the growth to stop or even slow. North Carolina’s economy is diverse, strong and adaptable.

T o p o g r a p h y

The property rests at 200’ above MSL. Its lowest point is on its western line where it encompasses the wetlands area and designated flood plain of Thornton’s Creek. The highest point is approximately 100 feet above the Thornton Creek area. There are sufficient shallow ravines running downhill to the creek area to support the three present impoundment ponds, and at least two additional pond sites. At the eastern edge of the land is approximately 10 acres of gently rolling pastureland.

M a n a g e m e n t S i t u a t i o n

The existing residence was built in 1902 (by J. E. Link and his wife) and the property was continuously farmed and occupied throughout the Twentieth Century by the Links and a scattering of other succeeding owners. Tobacco was the predominant crop throughout this history.

1 These are the first, fifth, eighteenth and forty-first fastest growing counties in the state, respectively.

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The current owners, Richard T. and Nancy P. Rodgers (husband and wife), acquired the property in two purchases during the early 1990’s. During their ownership, they have extensively restored and improved both the buildings and the land; the agricultural use of the land has shifted from tobacco to the production and preservation of rare/endangered/heritage breeds of livestock and poultry. Considerable efforts were expended in 1997 and 1998 cleaning up the property after Hurricane Fran (which blew down over 200 trees on the property during the night of September 6, 1996).

While Fran disrupted many of their initial property development plans, it also gave rise to many new ones. A gasoline-powered Woodmizer LT40HD sawmill (and much manual labor) converted the downed trees into 75,000± b/f, approximately 90% of which the owners have already used in farm building erection and/or re-construction. A 14’ x 50’ red oak garden shed, greenhouse and equipment storage shelter is the last of these structures and is scheduled for completion by December 31, 2001.

The owners do much of this work themselves. Occasionally, they will employ a framing crew, earthmoving contractors and the odd plumber and brickmason – but most of the work they perform themselves with the help of their sons and several pieces of farm and construction equipment.

M a j o r T i m b e r T y p e s

Prior to Hurricane Fran, it was evident that the land’s timber had been haphazardly managed by prior owners. Hardwoods from one area had been completely removed (presumably for firewood) while stands of mature and beyond-mature poplar and sweetgum existed in the boggier parts.

The current owners had grazed goats in the wooded areas in an effort to make them accessible by foot. By the time Fran arrived, the goats had effectively cleared the bottom five feet of the understory of its once-dense brush, vines, brambles and poison ivy stands.

Fran left relatively little of the tract’s merchantable timber standing; the owners counted over 200 freshly-downed trees after Fran’s visit. Cleanup took two years and involved several tens-of-thousands of Dollars in heavy equipment contractor services.

Today what remains is 20-acre woodland is a natural loblolly pine-sweetgum-southern red oak forest that is 25 to 55 years old. The loblolly pine trees are 75’ to 85’ tall and 12” to 18” in diameter. The trees are in fair condition and growing fairly well. There are signs of damage caused by recent hurricanes (Hurricanes Fran and Floyd). This entire forest area is well suited to grow loblolly pine trees.

U n d e r s t o r y

The understory consists largely of sweetgum, green briar, switch cane, holly, water oak, red maple, turkey oak, American elm, southern red oak, sour wood, ironwood, dogwood and holly

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All the trees blown over by Hurricane Fran have been removed and milled. Approximately 80% of the stumps and logging debris have already been gathered and burned. By December 1, 1998, all the logging trails were stabilized and seeded; the owners have placed culverts and gravel (from the on-site quarry) wherever necessary.

O t h e r N o t a b l e F e a t u r e s

G r a v e l Q u a r r y

As part of the Hurricane Fran reconstruction activities, the owners developed a ½ acre area near their southwestern corner as a gravel quarry. To date they have removed between 2,500 and 2,700 tons of material from this site and deposited it throughout the rest of the property; they anticipate they will need only 300 tons more for various smaller projects. They have no intention of developing this quarry for commercial purposes, so now they want to begin restoring this area to forest – and complete it as soon as the last gravel is removed.

“Duck Pond”

Another area created by the Hurricane Fran clean-up activities is the Duck Pond. Prior to the hurricane, this area was the site of a thoroughly overgrown 200’ x 50’ irrigation pond dug by former owners in the early 1950’s. This site was known to have clay deposits suitable for dam building and so the owners excavated the clay for Lake Fran dam from this site. When finished with this area, the clay excavation site was joined with the old irrigation pond to form what is now called “Duck Pond.”

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Resource Objec t ives

P r e f a t o r y C o n s i d e r a t i o n s

The owners have an overall plan to develop the property for the following uses and purposes:

1) Expansion and improvement of existing single-family residential uses;

2) Expansion and improvement of existing farm and rare breed production, preservation and sale facilities; and,

3) Expansion and improvement of the property’s existing “Special Occasions” site potential (Willow Pond Farmstead has already been the host site for various

A) Weddings B) Family reunions C) Business retreats, and, D) School visits. The owners expect to continue these uses and add to them the following new ones: E) “Living history farm park”; F) Rental cottages; and, G) Bed and breakfast.

Accordingly, all the property’s resource evaluations are made not only of the owners’ personal interests but also in expectation of increasing visitations to the property by the general public.

A e s t h e t i c Q u a l i t y

It is the primary objective of the owners’ Forest Stewardship Plan to restore, protect, enhance, manage, and maintain each aesthetic resource on the property.

R e c r e a t i o n

It is the secondary objective of the owners’ Forest Stewardship Plan to develop, manage and maintain every recreational opportunity the property affords, consistent with the overall goal of preserving the natural state of the land.

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F i s h

The owners’ third objective is to improve and manage the property’s three ponds for their maximum recreational fishing potential.

W i l d l i f e

The fourth objective is to afford, protect, manage, maintain, and enhance sanctuary and forage for the land’s local wildlife, with the expectation that its abundance will enhance the educational/recreational experience of the land’s visitors.

T i m b e r

Fifth, the land’s remaining timber resources must be protected, managed, and maintained not only for their ultimate harvest value but also for their more immediate benefits afforded the land’s existing and potential aesthetic, recreational and wildlife assets.

W a t e r

Sixth, the property’s ground and surface waters must be protected, managed, and maintained for, without water, there is no life.

S o i l

Seventh, requires completion of the property’s original soil management plan by restoring the skid trails, gravel pit, and other areas disturbed by Hurricane Fran and the cleanup activities that followed it.

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Resources Eva lua t ions

A e s t h e t i c s – u s e a n d p o t e n t i a l

Thanks to the clean-up activity necessitated by Hurricane Fran, many aspects of the land’s aesthetics have already seen improvement. Gone is the universe of brush and brambles; today, the forest floor everywhere sufficiently clear for foot travel. Forest edges are no longer the impenetrable jungle of poison ivy, grapevines, and uninviting brush. The newly opened trails and more park-like atmosphere invite guests to stroll and discover a managed woodland.

But there are still a few areas that require the owner’s attention:

1. The random deposits of trash left by the land’s former owners must be removed and their sites restored.

2. The islands on Duck Pond must be hand-graded and several willow and/or pine trees planted there in the Fall of 2001 or 2002.

R e c r e a t i o n – u s e a n d p o t e n t i a l

The owners have built two miles of perimeter and interior fencing along which hiking trails have developed. Also, they have built several thousand feet of interior trails, yielding today a well-defined woodland hiking trail system. All these trails are sufficiently clear for all-weather foot travel, horseback, and off-road vehicle access.

Awaiting completion is the construction of a series of gates and hiking styles that would permit crossing between the forest and farmland areas – and the creation of a continuous hiking path two miles or more in length. Once these connections are completed, the 39-acre property presents fine opportunities for:

• General nature or education trails; • Conservation trails; • Soil or geology trails; • Water and wetland trails; • Forest stewardship and ecology trails; and, • Wildlife observation trails.

F i s h

The property has three farm ponds, each capable of supporting good fishing opportunities:

Wil low Pond

A 45-year-old, surface runoff-fed pond impounding about one acre of water having a maximum depth of 12 feet. It is sporadically fished by guests of the owners – and they report the fishing is good. Bass and bream are the only species reported caught.

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Twelve triploid grass carp were introduced in 1992 to control the weed population. Ten of these fish remain, they weigh approximately 25 pounds each, and the pond is totally clear of vegetation.

The owners have been unable to develop a scientific census of the fish population (shocking boats are apparently unavailable in Harnett County) so only anecdotal evidence supports the current conclusions about the pond’s general good health.

Willow Pond enjoys a robust algae bloom, supported at least in part by the current owners’ application of two tons of agricultural lime across three-year rotations. Fertilizer broadcast upon the fields surrounding the ponds also contributes to the pond’s algae bloom.

Over the past eight summers, the owners have noticed occasional significant drops in pond water level, sometimes as much as 18 inches in unusually dry seasons. During these periods, pond oxygen levels have apparently remained adequate since no fish losses have been observed.

During the summer of 1995, the owners witnessed a partial fish kill caused (apparently) from insecticide applied via crop-duster to a neighboring tobacco crop.

Sediment is returning to the intake area of the pond from the exposed upstream land of others that, for the past several winters, has been left plowed but unseeded with a winter cover crop. The owners cleared this pond in 1991 with a dragline and installed sediment traps. They have kept the traps cleared (using their backhoe) yet the sediment continues to accrete.

Duck Pond

Duck Pond is really the confluence of two pond-construction operations: the first occurred approximately 45 years ago and the second “installment” (which doubled the pond to its present half-acre size) happened in 1997. It is a ground water fed pond; surface runoff contributes little to its maximum 12-foot water depth level. Recent summertime observations indicate its pond level varies by up to two feet in driest conditions.

While several visitors to the property during the past eight years claim to have caught fish there over past decades, no serious fishing occurred in Duck Pond since 1992 (when the present owners acquired it). Until Hurricane Fran, the pond edge was inaccessible because of dense underbrush; after Fran, the pond was filled with tree, limbs and other debris. These downed trees have since been removed, but their submerged limbs remain.

Even after the Fran cleanup, the pond was simply too snag-infested to invite fishermen. Accordingly, the owners drained and reconstructed the sides of the pond in June of 1999. During this reconstruction, the remaining fish were killed with Rotenone™ (applied by Tom Rachaels of the NC Fish and Game Service). The pond is too small to maintain an ecological balance, so, in the Spring of 2001, the owners re-stocked this pond with 50 6” largemouth bass and 15 pounds of minnows. It is their plan to restock the pond with minnows each year so that the bass will continue to grow.

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Duck Pond’s overflow runs into another pond on the property that, in honor of the event that caused its construction, the present owners have named “Lake Fran.” Accordingly, whatever fish originally existed in Duck Pond, including unwanted species, inevitably migrated into this larger downstream impoundment.

Lake Fran

Containing approximately two acres of surface area, “Lake” Fran is the largest impoundment on the property. It was built in 1997 and has a maximum depth of 14 feet.

Shortly after its construction, its edges teemed with minnows that either migrated downstream from Duck Pond or were brought in by visiting waterfowl.

In the Spring of 2001, the owners stocked Lake Fran with

o 150 2”-4” largemouth bass,

o 100 2”-4” shellcrackers,

o 200 2”-4” bluegill,

o 200 2”-4” hybrid bluegill,

o 200 4”-6” channel catfish, and

o 10 pounds of fathead minnows.

W i l d l i f e

The property enjoys a typical variety of wildlife. The owners have observed the following species:

• Deer • Small Game (squirrel, rabbit) • Predators (fox, raccoon, possum) • Beaver • Game Birds (dove, quail) • Avian Predators (hawk, owl, osprey, and one male bald eagle

sighted in the Spring of 2001) • Songbirds • Canada Geese • Waterfowl • Kingfisher and heron

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W a t e r

Nothing within the owners’ present or future development plans should adversely impact the current water resources.

Small areas of the property qualify as wetlands and other newly developed wetland areas have developed at the headwaters of the several ponds on the land.

T i m b e r

The remaining timber stand is young mixed hardwood interspersed with the occasional mature hurricane-survivor specimen. Tree spacing is optimal for growth and the forest floor receives adequate sunlight.

S o i l s

The following table is drawn from official county soil maps and describes the various types of soils on the property – and their timber uses: SOIL TYPE SPECIES SITE INDEX Co – Coxville loam. Nearly level Crop – Poor Capability Timber – Moderate Capability Loblolly pine 84 Longleaf pine 60 Sweetgum 84 Yellow poplar 86 So. Red oak 87 Water oak 75 Willow oak 88 NoA- Norfolk loamy sand – 0% to 2% Slope Crop – Good Capability Timber – Good Capability Loblolly pine 80 Longleaf pine 77 NoB- Norfolk loamy sand – 2% to 6% Slope Crop – Good Capability Timber – Good Capability Loblolly pine 80 Longleaf pine 77

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Bb – Bibb loam – level – Frequently flooded Crop – Poor Capability Timber – Moderate Capability Loblolly pine 90 Sweetgum 90 Water oak 90 Blackgum * LnD- Lillington very gravelly sandy loam – 8% to 15% Slope Crop – Poor Capability Timber – Good Capability Loblolly pine 80 WaB- Wagram loamy sand - 0% to 6% Slope Crop – Good Capability Timber – Moderate Capability Loblolly pine 81 Longleaf pine 72

Generally, the forestland at Willow Pond Farmstead is highly susceptible to erosion and retains water and nutrients relatively poorly. Humus content and depth varies considerably with some sites having up to two feet of material while others having virtually none.

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Management Recommendat ions fo r Des igna ted Areas

B r i e f D e s c r i p t i o n o f a r e a

For the purposes of this plan, the land is divided into six management areas:

Thornton’s Creek Wet lands

This land is located at the extreme western point of the property, this area is both wetlands and flood plane. Its boundaries are designated in Exhibit A.

Past Management

was limited exclusively to intermittent timber harvesting. Otherwise the area was neglected and left to its native mosquito and reptile residents.

Current Condition

is already greatly improved thanks to the current owner’s extensive fencing, brush removal and habitat-building activities. The land is accessible on foot and two large brush piles have already been built for habitat and nesting purposes.

Management Needs

are limited to the conclusion of the owners’ designs for this part of the property. Selected trees will be killed by girdling or by the proper application of herbicides. As these trees die, they will attract insects, which in turn will attract insect-eating birds and other wildlife. Many of these trees will produce natural cavities that will be used by various species of wildlife for nesting. Additional brush piles and will add to the habitat potential of the area.

Centra l Woodlands

Approximately 8 acres of young mixed hardwood timber stand, shown on Exhibit A.

Past Management

These woods are divided into approximately equal historic ownership areas (the Baker Tract that the current owners acquired in 1990 and the Stewart tract that they purchased in 1991). As such, the parcels have received somewhat different management practices.

The Baker part of the property received no formal logging activity during the past 30 years, but the Bakers and their predecessors randomly removed oaks for firewood. Many of the remaining trees were lost to Hurricane Fran so only a few mature trees remain.

The Stewart part of the property was logged approximately 25 years ago so there are no mature hardwood trees here. A few mature pines remained, but

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most were located in the Gravel Quarry area and were, accordingly, lost during its construction.

Current Condition

Both the Stewart and Baker parts of the Central Woodlands tract are now clear of the debris from Hurricane Fran, an undertaking that solved the aesthetic as well as the fire hazard problems.

A footpath and off-road vehicle trail system crisscrosses both tracts. This area has been limed, fertilized and seeded with orchard grass. There remain occasional minor erosion points.

The Stewart tract also was the household and agricultural trash depository for its former owners. This is an obvious aesthetic concern of the present owners.

Management Needs

The footpath and road system across both tracts needs some additional stabilization.

The refuse on the Stewart tract should be removed and properly disposed.

As in the previous area, selected trees will be killed by girdling or by the proper application of herbicides so that natural songbird feeding and nesting areas will evolve.


Consisting of approximately 1 acre, this unique site is located at the southwesternmost corner of the property.

Past Management

Until the former owners developed this area as a private gravel quarry in 1997, this one-acre area was simply another part of the Stewart Tract. It was unusual in one respect: exhibited the property’s steepest elevation drop (which made building the high tensile fence in this corner of the land more challenging). This part of the Stewart Tract had a surprisingly dense collection of mature pines (perhaps because the terrain made them difficult to harvest during the last logging operation).

Current Condition

The gravel pit has been graded and a dam built at the lowest end. Clear water rises from the gravel bottom and flows year-round. The owners contemplate making the area a “swimming hole” after a final clearing of the bottom and spreading sand to create a beach area for bathers.

Management Needs

The owners will allow the present pit to fill with groundwater as soon as the “beach” area is constructed and some final brush clearing is completed around the area’s perimeter.

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Duck Pond

Approximately 3/4 acre of water and adjacent shoreline is also shown on Exhibit A.

Past Management

For all practical purposes, this area was unmanaged by its former owners. Originally intended as an irrigation pond, the entire area had become so densely overgrown with pines, brush and brambles that no foot access was possible. Hurricane Fran effectively flattened all vegetation in this area in 1997 and the owners have conducted extensive clean-up and restoration (the last of which occurred in January of 2001).

Current Condition

All original fish were removed with Rotenone™ and the pond restocked with 50 largemouth bass and 15 pounds of minnows during the winter of 2000-2001. The banks around the water’s edge have been graded, seeded and stabilized with hay straw. A small quantity of brush remains on the island but otherwise the area is simply waiting for the re-stocked fish to mature and the opportunity to plant trees on the wildlife islands.

Management Needs

The owners’ plans for this area are largely in place and awaiting appropriate time(s) when the last of the reclamation activity will commence. It is likely the area will need fencing to keep the owners’ livestock from using the pond for watering purposes (which eroded the pond banks prior to the recent earthmoving activity).

“Lake” Fran

This “lake” area occupies approximately 2 acre of water plus the immediately adjacent shoreline and pedestrian trails. It is also shown on Exhibit A.

Past Management

Prior to Hurricane Fran, this area was an inhospitable bog filed with large poplars, poison ivy vines, briars, and mosquitoes. For all intents and purposes, it had been “un-managed” by all known former owners. Their neglect was obvious.

Hurricane Fran uprooted most of the poplars, making the area completely impassible, even by foot. The current owners removed the felled timber and then decided to build Lake Fran on this site as the most expedient way to enhance the area’s aesthetics. After the lake’s perimeter became established, they built a ¼-mile walking trail around the lake and then enveloped the entire site with a white board fence (made from the lumber milled on-site from the salvage timber operations following Hurricane Fran).

The owners concluded a re-forestation plan inside this area during the winter of 1998-1999 by planting over 600 assorted seedlings (including 150 bald cypress) purchased from the NC Forest Service Nursery. They also planted

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six large weeping willow trees and one large river birch obtained from a local nursery. Finally, the owners added a layer of mulch over all exposed soils.

Current Condition

Approximately 40% of the seedlings planted during the Winter of 1998-1999 died in the Spring drought. Offsetting this, however, is the substantial numbers of spontaneous poplar and sweetgum growth occurring in the recently disturbed soils. Perhaps more seedlings will be necessary, and perhaps not. Otherwise, this area is simply waiting for some good growing seasons.

Management Needs

Very little. The area is stable and should require little more than occasional mulch replenishment, pathway re-seeding and perhaps a re-establishment of seedlings from the NC Forest Service Nursery.

Wil low Pond

This is approximately one acre in size, is located at the extreme northern part of the property and is surrounded entirely by active livestock pasture.

Past Management

There is no evidence previous owners practiced any active organized management techniques on this pond since it was built and initially stocked approximately fifty years ago. The current owners found the dam leaking, the headwaters almost completely silted up, and aquatic vegetation choking all parts of the pond having a depth of less than four feet. Irrespective of this, fishing the pond yielded good results -- and it still does.

The current owners rebuilt the dam and dredged the silt with a dragline. Triploid grass carp were introduced in 1992 and there is now no underwater vegetation.

The owners apply two tons of agricultural lime to this pond every three years (the last application was in April of 1999); annual broadcast fertilizer applications also contribute to the healthy algae bloom this pond sports.

Current Condition

Although only a proper census would establish this, the pond appears to maintain a healthy and balanced fish population. In spite of sediment traps that the current owners installed, some sediment is returning to the headwaters and will need removing in about five more years. Otherwise, this area requires no special or immediate management activity.

Management Needs

There are none on the immediate horizon. Longer term needs include a monitoring of the fish population, continued periodic liming, fertilizing and sediment removal.

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Area spec i f i c ob jec t i ves

T h o r n t o n ’ s C r e e k W e t l a n d s

(1) Encourage wildlife habitat usage.

(2) Incorporate area into existing trail system.

(3) Stabilize existing roadways.

C e n t r a l W o o d l a n d s

(1) Clear all refuse left by prior owners.


(3) Add a footbridge and new trail.


(1) Complete the establishment of the area as a “swimming hole” with sand beach.

(2) Stop erosion at roadway entrance to quarry.


D u c k P o n d

(1) Complete current site restoration activity.

(2) Stop erosion at pond perimeter.

(3) Maintain recreational fishing population by reintroducing 25 to 50 pounds of minnows annually.


(5) Discourage cattle-induced erosion of the newly graded pond banks.

“ L a k e ” F r a n

(1) Complete Winter of 1998-1999 reforestation activity by replacing seedlings lost of drought in Spring of 1999.

(2) Maintain balanced recreational fishing population.


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W i l l o w P o n d

(1) Maintain in its current state.

(2) Maintain current balanced recreational fishing population.

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Management Recommendat ions and Act ion P lan

O v e r a l l R e-F o r e s t a t i o n P l a n - u n e v e n- a g e d f o r e s t m a n a g e m e n t

Currently our forest is mature and was thinned after Hurricane Fran. The forest is susceptible to wind throw during summer storms and hurricanes, disease, and insect infestation. To ensure we have a forest in the future that will replace the current mature forest we will implement a slow renewal process that will meet our aesthetic and timber management goals.

1-acre Harvest ing Every Three Years

To begin the renewal process we will harvest at least 1 acre every 3 years. We may use the harvest to supply wood to maintain the barns and structures that we built after Hurricane Fran.

Every three years, we will choose the location in our forest to conduct the harvesting. We will harvest everything found in this area to leave the area open and clean. We anticipate that the re-sprouting hardwoods that grow in these clean areas and open sunlight will grow straight and maintain good form. Furthermore, volunteer loblolly pines will have a better opportunity to naturally re-seed from the surrounding trees where enough mineral soil has been exposed and snags that normally shade have been removed. After our last block is harvested, the first block harvested will again be a mature forest so we (or the farmstead’s future owners) can begin the process again.

During any of the harvesting operations, we will follow all applicable Best Management Practices (BMPs) so that our land remains in-compliance with Forest Practice Guidelines (FPGs). We will maintain a minimum of a 50-foot buffer from all ponds and Thorton’s Creek and will always reduce rutting and souping in commonly wet areas caused by heavy equipment by using old wood pallets, treetops, or drag mats.

Disease Moni tor ing

Lastly, we will examine our forest on a quarterly basis for insects and disease. We will report any problems to the County Ranger’s Office and will request them to examine our progress and provide us with further management recommendations.

T h o r n t o n ’ s C r e e k W e t l a n d s

Bui ld addi t iona l brush p i les for wi ld l i fe habi ta t .

(a) Who will carry it out?

The owners, using their existing logging and brush cutting tools, tractors and trucks. The owners may employ casual laborers to assist them when such help is available.

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(b) When it will be done?

December 31, 2004.

(c) Why it is needed

To achieve the owners’ wildlife management objectives.

Add nest ing boxes.


The owners, using their existing lumber supply, woodworking shop and tools -- and plans provided by the North Carolina Wildlife Management Resources Commission.


December 31, 2004.



Gird le t rees to create nest ing and feeding areas .


The owners, using axes and/or chemical herbicides.


Continuously as needed, beginning December 31, 2002.



Complete foot t ra i l through area .


The owners, using their existing logging, brush cutting, and earthmoving equipment (including their tractors and trucks). The owners may employ casual laborers to assist them when such help is available.


Simultaneously with the cleanup operations described in Items 1 and 2, supra. – and no later than December 31, 2004.


To achieve the owners’ recreational development objectives.

Hand grade road margins

to turn water from travel surface before erosion can begin.

Page 21


The owners, using their existing hand tools. The owners may employ casual laborers to assist them when such help is available.


December 31, 2004.


To control erosion on these freshly-disturbed areas.

C e n t r a l W o o d l a n d s

Clear a l l re fuse le f t by pr ior owners .


The owners, using their tractors, trucks, and hand tools. The owners may employ casual laborers to assist them when such help is available.


December 31, 2004.


To achieve the owners’ aesthetic objectives.

Gird le t rees to create nest ing and feeding areas .


The owners, using axes and/or chemical herbicides.


Continuously as needed, beginning December 31, 2002.



Harvest se lect t rees for f i rewood.




Continuously, but only as needed.


To provide growing space for better species specimen.

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Bui ld addi t iona l brush p i les for wi ld l i fe habi ta t .




December 31, 2004.



Add nest ing boxes.




December 31, 2004.



Bui ld new t ra i l wi th footbr idge acr oss stream at Baker Trac t southern l ine .


The owners, using their existing logging, brush cutting, and earthmoving equipment (including their tractors and trucks) – plus a supply of commercially acquired CCA treated posts and the owners’ own current supply of white oak planking for the bridge. The owners may employ casual laborers to assist them when such help is available.


Simultaneously with the cleanup operations described in Items 1 and 2, supra. – and no later than December 31, 2004.


To achieve the owners’ recreational development objectives.

Page 23

R e -seed, l ime and fer t i l i ze road banks.


The owners, using their existing distribution equipment and commercial seed/fertilizer/lime products.


Continuously as needed to maintain the erosion-reducing grasses planted by the owners during the Spring of 2001.


To prevent loss of the existing grass cover and subsequent erosion of these areas.

Hand grade road margins

to turn water from travel surface before erosion can begin.


The owners, using their existing hand tools. The owners may employ casual laborers to assist them when such help is available.


Continuously as needed.


To control erosion on these areas.


Rake bot tom, c lear vegetat ion , bu i ld sand beach, and f i l l the swimming hole .


The owners (using their existing hand tools) will do the raking and clearing. An independent hauling company will deliver the sand.


December 31, 2004.


To complete the construction of the “Swimming Hole.”

Stop erosion at roadway entrance to quarry .


The owners, using their existing tractors, trucks and earthmoving implements.

Page 24


December 31, 2002.


To complete the stabilization of this service trail.

Encourage wi ld l i fe habi ta t usage v ia nest ing boxes and g i rd led t rees .


The owners, by using their existing woodworking shop and tools to build nesting boxes – and their axes and other tools to girdle the trees.


December 31, 2004.


To encourage the return of wildlife to this recently disturbed area.

Plant seedl ings around the per imeter


The owners (using their existing hand tools) will re-plant a mix of dogwood, redbud and crabapple seedlings obtained from the NC Forest Service Nurseries.


March 1, 2002.


To restore understory and mid-story for wildlife and to prevent erosion.

D u c k P o n d

Mainta in recreat iona l f ish ing popula t ion .


The owners, with the consulting assistance of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission and the fish stock of one or more commercial hatcheries.


Continuously.


To promote the maturity of this site’s fishing potential and to conform the fish population of the waters upstream to “Lake” Fran.

Page 25

Encourage wi ld l i fe habi ta t usage .


The owners, by using their existing woodworking shop and tools to build nesting boxes – and hand tool to final grade and plant willows and other trees on the island areas.


December 31, 2002.


To complete the development of this site’s wildlife habitat potential.

Stop eros ion a t pond per imeter .


The owners, by using their existing farm equipment and hand tools.


March 31, 2002.


To complete the erosion plans of the owners and to forestall any further accreted sediment dredging at this site.

Discourage cat t le - induced erosion of the newly graded pond banks.


The owners, by using their existing tools, equipment and store-bought materials to build a 48” high woven field fence around this area (which fence will include livestock access to the Duck Pond waters for drinking purposes).


December 31, 2002.


To complete the erosion protection plans of the owners.

“ L a k e ” F r a n

Replace seedl ings lost dur ing Spr ing, 1999 drought .

(d) Who will carry it out?

The owners (using their existing hand tools) will re-plant a mix of seedlings obtained from the NC Forest Service Nurseries.

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(e) When it will be done?

March 1, 2002.

(f) Why it is needed

To complete the re-forestation plan attempted by the owners during the winters of 1997 and 1998.

R e -seed, l ime and fer t i l i ze road banks.


The owners, using their existing distribution equipment and commercial seed/fertilizer/lime products.


Annually in the spring.


To maintain the ground cover first planted by the owners on these areas during the winter of 1999.

Add nest ing boxes a t per imeter o f water .


The owners, by using their existing woodworking shop and tools to build nesting boxes – and hand tool to final grade and plant willows and other trees on the island areas.


December 31, 2001.


To complete the development of this site’s wildlife habitat potential.

Bui ld apparatus to adjust water leve l in Nooney Wet land area .


The owners, by using their existing woodworking shop and tools to build a moveable baffle across the existing 18” culvert so that the natural water level can be temporarily increased for weed control purposes.


December 31, 2002.


To control perimeter weeds and encourage the development of the area’s wildlife potential.

Page 27

Restore pasture between Lake Fran and Stewart Pasture wi th swi tchgrass.


The owners, with the possible assistance of their current existing independent contractor,


May 1, 2002.


To complete the owner’s land reclamation and wildlife development plans.

W i l l o w P o n d

Moni tor f ish harvest .


The owners. Who else?


Continuously.


To monitor the health of Willow Pond’s fish population.

Cont inue l iming and fer t i l i z ing pond a t current l eve ls .


The owners.


Liming will be done each odd-numbered year, starting with 2003. Fertilizing occurs simultaneously and indirectly with the springtime fertilizing of the field surrounding the waters.


To maintain algae bloom and appropriate fish population health.

Add nest ing boxes a t per imeter o f water .



Page 28


December 31, 2004.



Schedule of Management Activities -- Page i

Schedu le o f Management Ac t iv i t i es

Due Date Area Activity

Continuously Harvest select trees for firewood

Continuously Willow Pond Monitor fish harvest

Continuously Willow Pond Continue liming pond at current levels

5/1/02 “Lake” Fran Restore pasture between Lake Fran and Stewart Pasture with switchgrass

12/31/02 Duck Pond Discourage cattle-induced erosion of the newly graded pond banks

3/1/02 “Lake” Fran Replace seedlings lost during Spring, 1999 drought

3/31/03 Duck Pond Complete current site restoration activity

3/31/02 Duck Pond Stop erosion at pond perimeter

12/31/01 “Lake” Fran Add nesting boxes at perimeter of water

12/31/02 “Lake” Fran Build apparatus to adjust water level in Nooney Wetland area

12/31/04 Central Woodlands Clear any refuse left by prior owners

12/31/04 Central Woodlands Build additional brush piles for wildlife habitat

12/31/04 Central Woodlands Add nesting boxes

12/31/04 Central Woodlands Build new trail with footbridge across stream at Baker Tract southern line

12/31/04 Central Woodlands Re-seed, lime and fertilize road banks

12/31/04 Central Woodlands Hand grade road margins to turn water from travel surface before erosion can begin

12/31/04 Gravel Quarry Reclaim the area and restore its forest cover when final gravel removal is complete

12/31/04 Gravel Quarry Stop erosion at roadway entrance to quarry

12/31/04 Thornton's Cr. Wetlands Build additional brush piles for wildlife habitat

12/31/04 Thornton's Cr. Wetlands Add nesting boxes

12/31/04 Thornton's Cr. Wetlands Complete foot trail through area

12/31/04 Thornton's Cr. Wetlands Re-seed, lime and fertilize road banks

12/31/04 Thornton's Cr. Wetlands Hand-grade road margins to turn water from travel surface before erosion can begin

12/31/04 Willow Pond Add nesting boxes at perimeter of water

Record of Activities -- Page i

Record o f Ac t iv i t i es

Due Date Date Done Area Activity

Continuously ___/___/_____ Harvest select trees for firewood

Continuously ___/___/_____ Willow Pond Monitor fish harvest

Continuously ___/___/_____ Willow Pond Continue liming pond at current levels

5/1/02 ___/___/_____ “Lake” Fran Restore pasture between Lake Fran and Stewart Pasture with switchgrass

12/31/02 ___/___/_____ Duck Pond Discourage cattle-induced erosion of the newly graded pond banks

3/1/02 ___/___/_____ “Lake” Fran Replace seedlings lost during Spring, 1999 drought

3/31/03 ___/___/_____ Duck Pond Complete current site restoration activity

3/31/02 ___/___/_____ Duck Pond Stop erosion at pond perimeter

12/31/01 ___/___/_____ “Lake” Fran Add nesting boxes at perimeter of water

12/31/02 ___/___/_____ “Lake” Fran Build apparatus to adjust water level in Nooney Wetland area

12/31/04 ___/___/_____ Central Woodlands Clear any refuse left by prior owners

12/31/04 ___/___/_____ Central Woodlands Build additional brush piles for wildlife habitat

12/31/04 ___/___/_____ Central Woodlands Add nesting boxes

12/31/04 ___/___/_____ Central Woodlands Build new trail with footbridge across stream at Baker Tract southern line

12/31/04 ___/___/_____ Central Woodlands Re-seed, lime and fertilize road banks

12/31/04 ___/___/_____ Central Woodlands Hand grade road margins to turn water from travel surface before erosion can begin

12/31/04 ___/___/_____ Gravel Quarry Reclaim the area and restore its forest cover when final gravel removal is complete

12/31/04 ___/___/_____ Gravel Quarry Stop erosion at roadway entrance to quarry

12/31/04 ___/___/_____ Thornton's Cr. Wetlands

Build additional brush piles for wildlife habitat


Add nesting boxes


Complete foot trail through area


Re-seed, lime and fertilize road banks


Hand-grade road margins to turn water from travel surface before erosion can begin

12/31/04 ___/___/_____ Willow Pond Add nesting boxes at perimeter of water

Exhibit A -- Page i

Exh ib i t A

Forest Stewardship Plan 11-26-2001 - Willow Pond Farmstead...Thanks to the clean -up activity necessitated by Hurricane Fran, many aspects of the land’s aesthetics have already seen

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